Katie Katie Parsons is the creator of Mumbling Mommy and is a freelance writer, editor and communications specialist. She works from her home office on the east coast of Florida. Most often she writes about life in a combined family of five children and what it's like being a full time work-from-home parent. Feel free to pitch guest post ideas or just drop her a line at katie@mumblingmommy.com.

 

My little crying, pooping bundle of joy — Erinn

I brought home a beautiful, healthy baby girl last week. She is precious, wonderful and… well, a handful. Was my first daughter this much work? All worth it, of course. I guess I had just forgotten how much effort it takes to care for a newborn and how everything you thought about your routine gets thrown completely out the window.

No matter how many kids you have, there are certain things about parenting a newborn that you just plain forget.

In that vein, here are three things that I forgot about being a mommy to a newborn.

The cry. There is something so very endearing about the cry of a baby that is brand new to the world. I’m not sure how it is possible for one sound to be so grating and so heartwarming at the same time. It is the sound that you look forward to hearing in the moments following delivery and then try to quelch with food, clean diapers and snuggling for many months to come. If you’ve ever breastfed, I don’t need to point out what the cry does to you physically. The cry of my baby is more powerful than I remember but something that I hope never to forget.

The poop. Oh. My. Gracious. I cannot believe my adorable little baby girl is capable of some of the things that end up in her diaper. I know that newborn poop is commonly known for being pretty gross, but the reality is so much more enlightening than the myth. The grandeur of those early diapers is apparently something I had selectively blocked from my warm, fuzzy newborn memories.

The new “you.” I am not new to being a parent but even so, being a mom to a new child has already changed me. I have a little more confidence this time around that holding her for awhile as she sleeps is not going to ruin my life for the next five years. I find myself being more willing to give my time and energy than I ever was with my first. I look at my daughter, stepkids and husband differently — more warmly, with more love than I knew I was capable. I view my own parents and in-laws in a new light as a result of the little life we all share. A newborn brings you new clarity about your own identity and that view changes with each additional child.

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Category: Babies

Tags: babies